THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 113 



Peters returned to Dublin in 1766. Patrick Cunning- 

 ham was paid for moulding and casting figures of 

 a Roman Slave, a Venus, and a Dolphin, and in 1760, 

 ten guineas for a statue of King George. To enable 

 him to carry on business as a statuary, £20 were 

 granted to him, on bond. The following advertise- 

 ment appeared in Faulkner's Journal, at the time of 

 his setting up business in July 1758 : "Patrick Cun- 

 ningham, apprentice to Van Nost, by agreement with 

 the Dublin Society, opens a yard and shop for statuary 

 in William street. As he is the first native that has 

 been bred to that business, he humbly hopes for the 

 favour of the public." The year after, he was granted 

 £30 by the Society to purchase at Van Nost's auction 

 such moulds and models as might be useful in his 

 business. 



Late in 1767, or very early in 1768, the Society 

 having moved to their new premises in Grafton street, 

 the drawing schools were accommodated in the back 

 of the house, the gateway and entrance to which still 

 remain (see p. 91). Here they were situated until 

 1796, when the Society moved to Poolbeg street. 



In the early part of the year 1767, the question of 

 the continuance of the school for figure drawing was 

 raised, and, on a full discussion of the matter, the 

 opinion of the following artists was invited — Messrs. 

 Bertrand, Carver, Collins, Ennis, Fisher, Hunter, 

 Reiley and Sheehan, as also Richard Cranfield, carver, 

 Simon Vierpyle, 1 carver in statuary, James Madden, 

 seal cutter, Nathaniel Murray, engraver, and James 



1 Vierpyle was probably of Dutch origin. He was brought over 

 from Italy by Lord Charlemont for work at his mansion of Marino, 

 Clontarf, specially for the Casino there. He copied in terra cotta 

 a large number of busts of Roman Emperors, &c, at the Capitol and 

 in the Vatican, which in 1868 were presented by the last Earl of 

 Charlemont to the Royal Irish Academy. 



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